6 month old chickens laying soft shelled eggs

[Parkhangs]

New to raising chickens here! I have 5 ISA Browns that started laying about a month ago. The last couple weeks I've been getting either very soft shelled eggs that are and broken in the coop or the shells look odd. I've been giving them oyster shells and 18% protein layer feed. They free range for about an hour a day and I think they're going through a mini molt right now. Whenever there's a soft/broken egg there are usually more than 5 layed that day so one or two hens are laying more than 1 egg a day.

Any advice?

 

[aart]

I've been giving them oyster shells and 18% protein layer feed.

That sounds fine, especially if they are consuming the OS.
Are you feeding anything else?

 

[Susan Skylark]

Is it just because they are young and their repro tracts are just figuring stuff out? I have 14 six week old quail (just starting to lay) and am having the same issue. I get a dozen normal (or tiny) eggs and then a soft shell. If they have adequate calcium (which it seems they do) they’ll likely grow out of it, the same as the fairy eggs will soon become rare!